republicans not only approved the debt ceiling deadline without a fight but did so without making usual demands for spending cuts. before you get too comfortable with that, think again. that debt limit increase is only a temporary three-month stopgap measure to give them more time for a budget resolution in the senate and a bigger budget battle ahead which brings me to the ducks. one lame duck to be precise. ever seen a lame duck? they can't fly far. they are lucky if they get off the ground. last week, president obama laid out his fight plan for the heights of to which he hopes to soar in his second term. his agenda may never find its wings if it is stymied in the tangle of capitol hill gridlock. a seemingly endless series of cliffs, ceilings sequesters and showdowns. the upcoming budget fight is only the first of many. remember the fiscal cliff? well, it never really went away. it was postponed for a couple months. we have the threat of automatic spending cuts looming over our heads march 1s. government shutdown on the 27th. we'll need a new spending bill to keep it going. mark your c